Rotatable open-book rest.



J. WALSH. ROTATABLE OPEN BOOK REST.

APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 21, 1912.

Patented Apr. 14,1914.

Jill! I WILLIAM J. WALSH, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ROTATAIBLE OPEN-BOOK REST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14, 1914:.

Application filed October 21, 1912. Serial No. 727,054.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. WALSH, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of Hamilton, in the county of Wentworth andProvince of Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Rotatable Open-Book Rests, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an open book rest,

rotatable in opposite directions on a table or desk, and of the kindshown in my United States Patents Nos. 1017120, and 1017121, datedFebruary 13, 1912.

The objects of my invention are, to afford facilities whereby personssitting at opposite sides of a. table or desk may use the book rest asconvenience permits, also toprovide means for supporting the book restand to allow the same to be rotated in opposite directions. I attainthese objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawingin which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an open book rest in readableposition secured to a table and adapted to be rotated thereon. Fig. 2 isa front elevation of a portion of the same, showing the vertical hollow,or tubular, supporting shaft, broken, and the horizontal telephoneinstrument holder, also broken. Fig. 3, is a plan of the casing togetherwith the book rest arm which is shown broken, and the horizontal diskits supporting arm shown broken. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation partiallyin section, showing the hollow vertical shaft supported and rotatable inopposite directions in a bushin which is rigidly secured to a side of ades or table.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In the drawing 2 is an open book, on a rest 3, supported on an arm 1,which is adapted to swing upward on the horizontal fulcrum pin 5, whichextends through the horizontal frame, or casing 6. The book and its restare shown in broken lines, in Fig. 1, of the drawing, adjusted to anon-readable, or out of the way position, against, or in contact with, avertical pad, or cushion 8, and similar to my United States patentreferred to. The vertical pad 8, forms a part of the rear verticalplate, or board 9, which extends upward from the casing 6, and isintegral therewith.

The arm 4, together with the open book rest and other mechanismconnected therew1t h, are operated, in combination with the casing, in asimilar manner to my said United States Patent No. 1017121 ;-in thisapplication however, the wall for rigidly securing the casing thereto isdispensed with.

The important feature in this invention is a vertical shaft 10,preferably of tubular construction, downwardly extending from the rearand central part of the casing 6, and integral, therewith, and rotatableon a table or desk, and a distance above said table or desk. 1

12, is ahorizontal table, or desk, shown broken, in Fig. 1, and having ahole 13 therethrough, in a convenient place to admit a bushing 14,rigidly therein, and 15 is a horizontal flange, of said bushing, restingon the table.

The vertical shaft 10, ext-ends through the bushing 14, the lower end ofsaid bushing is threaded to receive a nut 16, having a concentric hole17 through the bottom thereof, thereby forming a circular shoulder 18,on which the lower end of the shaft 10 rests. The hollow shaft 10, fitsloosely in the bushing 14: and rotatable in opposite directions, and maybe easily withdrawn therefrom.

The casing G, is provided with an arm 20*, extending from one sidethereof and rigid therewith, and preferably on the right-hand side andin proximity with the rear of said casing. 21, is a circular horizontal,or level disk on the end part of the arm 20 and rigid therewith, and hasa rim 22 around the same extending above the level, or upper face of theplate, to prevent a telephone instrument placed thereon from sliding olfthe plate. The casing 6, together with the shaft 10, the open book rest,and the disk 21, are rotatable in opposite directions, as a conveniencefor a person or persons, sitting at a table, or desk. The opening 17, inthe nut 16, communicates with the vertical opening 23, in the hollowvertical shaft 10, which has an opening 24 through one side thereofcommunicating with the opening 23.

26 is an ordinary telephone cable, adapted to extend through the opening17 in the nut 16, and through the hollow shaft 10, and out through theopening 24 of said shaft, and connects with a common telephoneinstrument which may be on or off the c-ircushaft extending downwardlytherefrom and integral therewith, a table, or desk, a bushlar disk 21.

Then the open book rest is attached to a' side of a table, or desk, asin Fig. 4, of the drawing, a flanged bracket bearing 19, hav ing avertical socket 25 is employed, said socket having a lower opening 27for the cable 26 to pass through, and a shoulder 28 formed by the saidopening 27 beingsmaller in diameter than the bore-of the socket. Thelower end of the hollow shaft 10 rests on the shoulder 28, and isadapted to rotate in opposite directions in the socket. The bracket 19is rig-idly secured to a side of a table or desk by means of screws 29through the flange or flanges 30 of the socket.

The arrows shown in Fig. 3 of the draw ing indicate the horizontal andopposite rotary directions to which the parts ofthe Gopies of thispat'entmay' be obtainedfor device may be simultaneously rotated toposition; V

\Vhat I claim as my invention and deslre to secure by Letters Patent,is:

In an open book rest, a casing, a tubular ing extending through thetable and beyond,

and provided with an upper annular flange ;to rest solidly on the table,the end portion of the bushing screw threaded, and a nut provided withan annular flange abutting the undersideof the table, and a shoulder inthe nut, said: nut having an opening. concentric therewith, and' withtheshaft, and screwed on said end of the bushing, and saidshoulderadaptedto support the end of'the shaft, andallowthe shaft to berotatable therein. ,7 n

- VILLIAM J. WALSH.

lVitnesses:

JOHN H. HEN-DRY, RICHARD BUTL R.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of" Patents, Washington,13.0.?

